Improvement in metallic cartridges



R WHITE METALLIC CARTRIDGE No. 97,843. Patented Dec. 14, 1869.

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Letters Patent No. 97,843,

dated December 14, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN METALLIC CARTRIDGES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Roma}: Warns, of Lowell, in the county of Middlcsex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Metallic Cartridge-Shells; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, are longitudinal sections of difi'erent modifications of my invention.

Figure 5 is a rear end view of figs 1, 2, and 3.

Figures 6 and 7 are cross-sections of difierentmodifications of the pellet or cap, which primed with fulminatc, on an enlarged scale.

Figures 8 and 9 are modifications of the cup or recess in the base of the cartridge-shell.

This invention relates to that class of cartridges which are primed with fulminate and exploded by a blow of the hammer, or in some equivalent manner.

In all the figures, A is the outer metallic case or shell which contains the charge.

n the modifications shown in 1 and 2, there is a supplemental shell or cup, B, within the main shell In fig. 1, this cup is provided with an annular flange, b, aroupd which the metal of the fiange'of the outer shell is closely pressed, as shown in the drawings.

In fig. 2, said inner cup has no flange, this being the only difference in said inner cup or shell, as shown in figs. 1 and 2.

In all the figures the metal of the base of the shell A is pressed in, so as to form a centralcup or recess. But said cup may be made in the inside shell or re- .t'orce-plate, and this plate to be made of sufficient strength to resist the force of the hammer and the explosive force of the cup and charge. It said cup is made in the reinforce-plate, to receive the cap or pellet, the rea-rportion 'ot' the outside shell may be cut out in such form that the cap can be inserted through said opening into the cup or cavity in the reinforceplate.

The inner shell or cup 15., figs. 1 and 2, has a circular hole in the centre of its base, just large enough to embrace the cup 0, formed in the base of the outer shell, as aforesaid.

Figs. 1 and 3 show a steel ring, 4, fitting closely in the cup 0. In both these figures, as well as in fig. 4, the bottom of the cup cforms the anvil, against which the fulminate is driven by the blow of the hammer, but in each a supplemental anvil, consisting of a thin steel disk, fitting into the bottom of the cup 0, may be used.

In fig. 2, a, there is a steel cup, the anvil.

instead of a steel ring fitting into the cup 1", the bottom of which forms In fig. 4 there is neither ring nor cup fitting into said cup 0, but there is a ring, S, in the base of the shell A, surronmliug said cup 0, and serving as a reint'orce to support it, both against the explosive charge and the blow of the hammer.

'lhrongh the bottom of the cup 0, and also throu h the simplemental anvil, when one is used, there is one or more vent-holes, i, fig. 5, to convey the fire from the fuhninate to the charge of powder in the shell.

The various parts forming the base oft-he shell are to be so grooved or recessed, that when stamped together they will adhere firmly, or they may be soldered.

he shell is primed bv means of a metallic circular pellet or cap, carrying the fuhnihate, fitted into and closing the cup 0 in the base of the shell A. Two forms of this pellet or cap are shown in cross-section, on an enlarged scale, in figs. 6 and 7. In both forms the outer edge of the metal plate or disk-0f which the pellet consists is bevelled to a sharp edge, as shown in the drawings. In fig. 6, this metal plate-or disk has a sharp annular. corrugation, near its periphery, in which the fulminate e is placed.

The fulminate may be exploded either by an oblique or perpendicular blow of the hammer. A blow on the central part of the pellet will force the same forward into the cup 0, and at the same time, by fiattening the central part of thepellet, will force its periphery outward against the inner circumference of the cup, compressing the fulrninate c in the annular corrugation or groove in which it is located, so asto cause its explosion. The bevelled edge of the pellet will, by the blow of the hammer, be pressed against the wall of the cup 0, so as effectually to prevent the escapeof any gas rearward.

When this form of pellet is used, an anvil is not ab solutely necessary, and the bottom of the cup 0 may even be left open, as shown in an opening similar to the vent of a cannon. In this case, however, the cup or rent 0 should be conical, or a little flaring at its rear, as shown in fi 8, so that by. forcing the pellet or cap into or through the conical, and into the cylindrical part of the ring, cup, or vent c, the. cap or pellet will be so compressed as to explode the fulminatc and ignite the charge.

I prefer ring or vent, by the blow of the hammer, follower, or plunger, (and to hold it in place during the firing of the charge,) that there will be space enough in the rear of the exploded cap or pellet to insert another one in the ring or vent for the next charge, and as the next cap is tired it will drive the former one through the. ring or vent. Or the ring or vent may have a shoulder-at its inner extremity, as shown in fig. 9,-to prevent the cap or pellet from being driven throughit'until it has beenused as an anvil to ignite the fulrninate in the next cap or pellet; and the last cap is pressed fi s. 8 and 9 makin to drive the cap or pelletso far into the against the former by the blow of the hammer, follower, or plunger, said previously-cxploded cap will be driven through the ring orvent.

This cap or pellet may be used in the vent ot'a cannon, or, in fact, in any kind of a fire-arm having a vent, by making the vent large enough to receive it.

In the form of pellet shown by fig. 7, the fulminate is placed. in the centre, and is exploded by a central blow of the hammer, driving the t'ulminate against the anvil.

The blow of the hammer flattens the central part of the disk, which has the effect to press out the periphery against the wall of the cup 0, or the ring r, closing it gas-tight, as hereinbefore explained.

Instead of mixing the fulmiuate with gum-shellac, as has heretofore been practiced, I mix it with a paste containing a portion of dissolved India rubber, or some other similarelastic substance, which will be less liable to shell and crumble, when dry, than shellac. For this purpose, India rubber or caoutchouc, thirty grains, may be first dissolved in naphtha or ether, and then may be added thirty grains of shellac. After this is dissolved, or nearly so, this liquid may be used with the fulmiuate the same as liquid gum-shellac or varnish.

It will be an improvement on the use of shellac as heretofore, if only one grain of ca-outchouc is used to forty grains of shellac, but I prefer to use more. Or

collodion may be used, one ounce to about ten grains of caoutchonc.

I do not confine myself to the proportions herein changing the efieet.

Having'thus described my invention, and the several modes of carryingit into efl'ect,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters latent, is-

1. In combination with the cup 0, and pellet or cap fitting therein, a metal ring or .cup, to reinforce said cup 0, substantially as shown. in figs. 1., 2-, 3, and {1.

2. In combination with a cup in the base of the cartridge-case, or the vent of a gun, substantially as describcd, a pellet or cap, with a recess or cavity in its Witnesse SAM. W. STICKNEY, WM. U. AMSDEN.

given, because they may be varied without materially 3 centre or near its rim, to receive the fuln'linate, sub- I 

